Find out how popular the last name Kalama is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Kalama.

Kalama, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Kalama surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kalama in America

Kalama is the 34110th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kalama surname appeared 666 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Kalama.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kalama to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Kalama

The surname Kalama has its origins in the Hawaiian Islands, dating back to the late 18th century. It is derived from the Hawaiian word "kalama," which means "the sound of the soul." This suggests that the name may have been associated with spirituality or musical talents in its early days.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Kalama surname can be found in the journals of Captain James Cook, who visited the Hawaiian Islands in 1778. Cook's crew documented interactions with local inhabitants, some of whom may have carried the Kalama name.

During the 19th century, as more Hawaiian names and genealogies were recorded, the Kalama surname began to appear in various historical documents. One notable figure was Kalama Waha, a high-ranking chief who lived in the early 1800s and was known for his expertise in traditional Hawaiian navigation and wayfinding.

Another prominent individual was Kalama Ke'eaumoku, who served as a trusted advisor to King Kamehameha I during the unification of the Hawaiian Islands in the early 1800s. Ke'eaumoku played a crucial role in negotiating alliances and managing conflicts between various chiefs and islands.

In the late 19th century, the Kalama surname gained further recognition through the work of Joseph Kalama, a Hawaiian scholar and educator who dedicated himself to preserving and promoting the Hawaiian language and culture. Born in 1837, Kalama authored several books and educational materials that helped ensure the survival of Hawaiian traditions.

A more recent historical figure bearing the Kalama surname was Elsie Kalama, a renowned Hawaiian singer and musician who lived from 1903 to 1970. Known as the "Queen of Hawaiian Music," Kalama was instrumental in popularizing traditional Hawaiian songs and helping to preserve the Islands' rich musical heritage.

While the Kalama surname has its roots in Hawaii, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by families and individuals who have emigrated from the Hawaiian Islands over the past two centuries. Despite its global dispersion, the name continues to hold a strong connection to its Hawaiian origins and the cultural traditions associated with the Islands.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kalama

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Kalama.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Kalama was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Kalama has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Kalama was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Kalama, please contact us.

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